Opposite Directions

In college football, it is the year of the freshman.
In college basketball, it is the year of the senior.

Isn't that the irony of ironies? Here is a story on the impact of freshman in football, including this on RB and CJ:

Last week Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson made the play of the game in a win over North Carolina State. On the Yellow Jackets' winning drive, Johnson made a one-handed, behind-his-back, third-down grab.

The quarterback who threw the ball? Reggie Ball, who had a fairly sensational freshman season himself a year ago for Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey.

Here's a story on the rise of the seniors in college hoops, including this on GT:

Georgia Tech, the team that beat the Jayhawks in the NCAA regional finals last season, welcomes back four of five starters because guards B.J. Elder and Jarrett Jack stayed in school.

The Yellow Jackets are one of six ACC teams ranked in the pre-season Associated Press top 25 poll and one of three in the top five.

"You're still going to have kids leave early every year, but it's not like every program has one leaving," Georgia Tech Coach Paul Hewitt said.

So is it an irony? Maybe not. The answer may lie in the quality of instruction and preparation in high school. The football article said that kids are coming into college more prepared than ever. Ok that makes sense as to why they can excel at the college level. But what about hoops and the kids going pro? Well, this is also a matter of preparation. You see, the quality of play in the pros has gone down so much that development and prep in high school doesn't matter as much as raw athletic ability. Bottom-line, high school football has gotten closer to meeting the college bar of performance, while the NBA has actually just lowered the bar for high school hoopsters.